Politics and Prose
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Author Talk: James Verini — The Theater- with William B. Taylor Jr. - and Kateryna Smagliy
Posted
June 12, 2026
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June 12, 2026
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1:11:08Now PlayingAuthor James Verini discusses their book "The Theater" at Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.
In March of 2022, three weeks after invading Ukraine, Russian forces bombed the shelter housed in the Donetsk Regional Academic Drama Theater, in the city of Mariupol. The bombing stands, to this day, as the single worst act of mass civilian killing of the war. This book tells the story of the group of ordinary Ukrainians—workers, teachers, actors—who built that shelter, giving succor to thousands of their countrypeople, before it was destroyed. Their audacity and humor and humanity in the midst the siege of Mariupol, against impossible odds, will leave readers inspired, amused, and devastated. Their story is the story of a young republic and its struggle to survive.
James Verini writes for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and National Geographic, among other publications. His journalism has received a National Magazine Award and a George Polk Award. He is the author of They Will Have to Die Now, about the battle that brought down ISIS.
Verini is in conversation with Ambassador William B. Taylor Jr., a distinguished American diplomat and former U.S. Army officer, known for his work in foreign policy, specifically in Ukraine, the Middle East, and former Soviet states. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (2006–2009) and later as Chargé d'Affaires in Kyiv (2019–2020)
Verini and Taylor Jr. are introduced by Kateryna Smagliy, Ph.D., who has been serving as a Counselor for Political Affairs and Public Diplomacy at the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA since February 2022. Prior to her arrival to Washington DC, Kateryna served at Political Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and led the International Cooperation Department at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine. Smagliy is a Fulbright scholar and a graduate of The McCain Institute Next Generation Leaders progra
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